Collapsible box



OCt. 3, 1933. F, GRASSO 1,928,976

COLLAPSIBLE BOX Filed March 30, 1932 Patented Oct. 3, 1931"V`v 1,928,976 coLLAPsIBLE Box Frank Grasso, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. ApplicationfMarch so, 1932. f serial No.. 602,081 s claims. (cl. o-49) My invention relates to a collapsible receptacle of thetype wherein a canvas hamper or bag is carried by a collapsible frame so that when the receptacle is not in use it canr be Vilattened out l and occupy very little space. In shipping garments from factory to factory, or from factory to dealer, it is more or lesscustomary to place the garments in boxes 4or crates of rigid construction lined with canvas or" other suitable material vto protectthe garments.'v `These crates after delivery are rarely returned to the shipper as, owing to ,their bulk, the expenseof shipping them back empty is considerable; so the crates are lost to the shipper.

My invention, therefore, has for. an object to provide a collapsible crate-like structure of an improved constructionwhich, when its contents have been removed, may be quickly collapsed and Will thus occupy onlyA a fraction of the space mi that it occupied when in use and thus insure the returnof the receptacles to the shippers so that they maybe used over and over again.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a ruggedlyconstructed receptacle which can be manufactured at low cost and which will be suiciently .strong not to be bent or warped out of shape or easily broken when in use.

Other objects of my invention will` in` part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter. f To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, the invention still further'resides in-the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described inthe followingdetailed description, and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, referencebeing had to the companying drawing, in` Which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention in use. y

Figure 2 is an end view of the same, fully co1- lapsed.

Figure 3 is an inverted plan of a portion of the bottom of the receptacle. A Figure 4 is a detail perspective 'viewrof a portion ofthe lid with its cover broken away.

VFigure 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the upper edge of the front frame which cooperates with the part Vshown in- Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view showing one of -the lid hingeV members. l

In the drawing, in which like numerals of l reference indicate like parts`in all the gures, 1 represents the rectangular frame of the base portion of the receptacle. This is composed of rod orwire and has secured to it a lattice-work l composed of longitudinal slats 2.and transverse slats 3, 'the slats being riveted together as at 4 and looped around the rod l as at 5.

6 is the rectangular rod-like frame of the top 60l of thereceptacle. -It carries 'a pair of locking lips 8 which are looped around the rod 6 as at 7 andapertured as at 9 for the reception of a padlock.` i

10 Vare loops Welded to the rod 6 and forming 65 hinge bearings for. the lid. L

The lid is composed of a rectangular frame 11 provided with longitudinal slats V1 2 and transverse slatsV 15S-riveted together at 15 and looped around the rod l1 as at 14, thereby constituting 70" a lattice-work. Thelid frame carries a pair of locking bars 16 that are riveted at 17 to one of the longitudinal bars 12 and are passed over thefront rod 11v and offset to form ears 18 that are apertured at 19 to 75"'y cooperate with the ears 8, the portions of the bars 16 which overlie the rod 11 being spot-welded or o otherwise rmly secured to the rod. A

The frame of the llid has its under face covered by a covering of fabric 20, the edges of which are lapped over as at 21 and secured bysewing as at v I The rectangular rod-like base frame l and the rectangular rod-like top framel are connected together front and back by front and back frames, each of which comprises vertical rule-joint struts 23, the ends oi' which are looped atA 24 aroundthe rods l and 6Y respectively. The rule-joints 25 are located midway of the height of the struts.V

-Y 26 designates longitudinal bars riveted to the struts 23'atthe bottom, there being intermediate horizontal bars 2 8 riveted to the struts 23 adjacent the rule-joints.- Thus the parts 23 to 28 inclusive constitute a frame, `(oneor the .front and one for the back of the receptacle.)

In addition `to being connected by the front and back frames, the-.top and bottom rectangular'AV rod-like frames 1 and 6 arealso connected at their sides by vertical struts 29 having rule-joints 31 intermediate their ends and having their ends looped around the rods l and 6 Vas at 30.

Suitable stops 32 are weldedto the rods 1 and 6 to lprevent the struts 29 becoming displaced along those rods, the struts 29 being located in the. mid-vertical longitudinal plane of there# ceptacle.

241is a bag of generally rectan'gular'forxn set into the skeleton receptacle to rest on the lattice bottom, and this bag 24 has its upper edge overlying the rod-like frame 6 and sewed together.

-respective rule-joints will, not abut one-another but will be spaced apart a distance but slightly greater than the width of the end struts 29.

.The bottom of the canvas bag is anchored to v the rod-like frame 1 by stitching 27, as best shown in Figure 5,

From the foregoing description taken in oonnection with the accompanying drawing it isv thought that the construction, operation and ad-V vantages of the invention will be clear to 'those skilledl in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a collapsible receptacle, a top rectangular rod-like rigid frame and a bottom rectangular rod-like rigid frame, a front frame anda back frame, each of said front and back frames consisting of a pair of rule-.joint struts located at the ends of the frames and an intermediate rulejoint strut, longitudinal bars rigidly secured to said struts adjacent the top and bottom ends and lying at right angles thereto, said top and bottom ends being bent around said rectangular rod-like frames as hinge loops, and a rule-jointstrut for each end of said receptacle connecting the top and bottom rod-like frames in the middle of the end portions, all of said struts breaking inwardly, the distance between-the rule-joints and the hinge loops of the struts of the front and back frames L being such that when the receptacle is collapsed the rule-joints of the front and back frames will be separated a distance suflcient to receive the folded end struts between them.

2. In a collapsibley receptacle, a top rectangular rod-like rigid frame and a bottom rectangular rod-like rigid frame, a front frame and a back frame, each of said front and back frames consisting of a pair of rule-joint struts located at the ends of the frames, and an intermediate rulejoint strut, longitudinal bars rigidly secured to said struts adjacent the top and bottom ends and lying at right angles thereto, said top and bottom ends being bent around said rectangular rod-like frames as hinge loops, and arule-joint strut for each end of said receptacle connecting the top and bottom rod-like frames Ain the middle of the end portions, al1 of said struts breaking inwardly, the

distance between the rule-joints and the hinge loops of the struts of Athe front and back frames being such that when the receptacle is collapsed therule-joints of the front and back frames will be separated a distance suilicient to receive the folded end struts between them, and a canvas bag tted within the skeleton receptacle formed by said frames and having its upper edge folded over the upper rectangular rod-like frame and sewed together.

3. In a collapsible receptacle, a top rectangular rod-like rigid frame and a bottom rectangular rod-like rigid frame, a front fram'eand a' back frame, each of. said front and back frames consisting of a. pair of rule-joint struts located at the ends of the frames, and an intermediate rulejoint strut, longitudinal bars rigidly secured to said struts adjacent the top and bottom ends and lying at right angles thereto, said top and bottom ends being bent around said rectangular rod-like frames as hinge loops, and a rule-joint strut for each end of said receptacle connecting the top and bottom rod-like frames in the middle of the end portions, all of said struts breaking inwardly, the distance between the rule-joints and the hinge loops of the struts of the front and back frames being such that when the receptacle is collapsed the rule-joints of the front and back frames will be separated a distance suflicient to receive the folded end struts between them, and a' canvas bag fitted within the skeletonV receptacle formed by said' frames and having its upper edge folded over the upper rectangular rod-like frame and sewed together, and having its bottom anchored Y to said lower rectangular frame.

4. In a collapsible receptacle, a top rectangular rod-like rigid frame and a bottom rectangular rod-like rigid frame, a front frame and a back frame, each of said front and back frames consisting of a pair of rule-joint struts located at the ends of the frames, and an intermediate rulejoint strut, longitudinal bars rigidly secured to said struts adjacent the top and bottom ends and lying at right angles thereto, 4said top and bottom IDG fitted within the skeleton receptacle formed by said frames and having its upper edge folded over the upper rectangular rod-like frame and sewed together, and crossed lattice strips secured to said bottom rectangular rod-like frame on which t said bag rests. 115

5. In a collapsiblereceptacle, a top rectangular rod-like rigid frame and a bottom rectangular rod-like rigid frame, a front frame and a back frame, each -of said front and back frames consisting of a pair of rule-joint struts located at 120 the ends of the frames, and an intermediate rulejoint strut, longitudinal bars rigidly secured to said struts adjacent the top and bottom ends and lying at right angles thereto, said top and bottom ends being bent around said rectangular rodlike frames as hinge loops, and a rule-joint strut for each end of., said receptacle connecting the top and bottom rod-like frames in the middle of the end portions, all of said struts breaking ln- Wardly, the distance between the rule-joints and the hinge loops of the struts of the front and back frames being such thatk when the receptacle is collapsed the rule-joints of the front and back frames will be separated a distance sufcient to receive the folded end strutsvbetween them, and

rod-like rigid frame, a front frame and a back ML frame, each of said'front and back frames consisting of a pair of rule-joint struts located at the ends of the frames, and an intermediate rulejoint strut, longitudinal bars rigidly secured to said strutsadjacent the top and bottom 'ends and I5 folded end'struts between them, and a lid comprising a rectangular rod-like frame with lattice` strips secured theretoV and a canvas cover on its under face, the edges of which cover are carried back over the frame and stitched together, means i hinging said lid to said top rectangular rod-like frame, said top rectangular rod-like frame and said lid frame having apertured padlock receiving lips cooperating with one another.

'1.'In a collapsible receptacle, a top rectangular rod-like rigid frame and a bottom rectangular rodlike rigid frame, a front frame and aback frame, each of said front and back frames consisting of a pair of rule-joint struts located at the ends of the frames, and an intermediate rule-joint strut, longitudinal bars rigidly secured to said struts adia-V cent the top and bottom ends and lying at right angles thereto, said top and bottom ends being bent around said rectangular rod-like framesas hinge loops, and a rule-joint strut for each end of said receptacle connecting-the top and bot-v tom rod-like frames in themiddle of the end portions, all of said struts breaking inwardly, the distance between the rule-joints and the hinge loops of the struts of the front and back frames being such that when the receptacle is collapsed the rule-joints of theY front and back frames will be separated a distance sufllcient to receive the folded end struts between them, and a canvas bag tted within the skeleton receptacle formed by said frames and having its upper edge foldedover the upper rectangular rod-like frame and sewed together, andl a lid comprising a rectangular rodlike frame with lattice strips secured thereto and a canvas cover on its under face, the edges of which cover are carried back over the frame and stitched together, means hinging said lid to said top rectangular rod-like frame, said top rectangular rod-like frame and said lid frame having apertured padlock receiving lips cooperating with one another.

8. In a collapsible receptacle, a top rectangular rod-like rigid frame and va bottom rectangular rod-like rigid frame, a front frame and a back frame, each of said front and back frames consisting of a pair of rule-joint struts located at the ends of the frames, and an intermediate rulejoint strut, longitudinal bars rigidly secured to said struts adjacent the top and bottom ends and lying at'right angles thereto, said top and bottom ends being bent around said rectangular rod-like frames ashinge loops, and a rule-joint strut for each end of said receptacle connecting the top and bottom rod-like frames in the middle of the end portions, all of said struts breaking inwardly, the distance between the rule-joints and the hinge loops of the struts ofthe front and back frames being such that when the receptacle is collapsed the rule-joints of the front'andback frames will be separated a distance sufficient to receive the folded end struts between them, and a canvas bag tted within the'skeleton receptacle formed by said frames `and having its upper edge folded over the upper rectangular rod-like frame and sewed together, and crossed lattice strips secured to said bottom rectangular rod-like frame on which said bag rests, and a lid comprising, a rectangular rodlike frame With lattice strips secured thereto and a canvas cover on its under face, the edges of which cover are carried back over the frame and stitched together, means hinging said lid to saidA v top rectangular rod-like frame, said top rectangular rod-like frame and said lid frame having aperturedpadlock receiving lips cooperating with one another.

l FRANK GRASSO. 

